Potential and Kinetic Energy Guiding Questions: Where does energy come from? How is energy used? What forms of energy can we see and where?

ALL ENERGY… Comes from the SUN!

Potential Energy Key Point: Potential Energy is STORED ENERGY. Energy that is not being used is stored energy. Just like you store unused flour in a container, notebook paper in your binder, or food in a pantry, you can also store energy. Stored energy is called potential energy. Key Point: Potential Energy is STORED ENERGY.

Potential Energy Key Point: The higher something is from the surface of the Earth, the greater it’s potential energy. This is because it has more room to move. You can calculate the Potential energy of something: PE = mass x height Gravitational PE = mass x gravitational constant x height Gravitational Constant – 9.8m/s2 Key Point: Things sitting up high have more potential energy than things sitting on the ground.

The ball at the top of the hill has a great deal of potential energy.

Potential Energy There are many places where you can find potential energy stored besides up high! In a candy bar! In a battery! In your cells! At a power facility! In a rubber band! In a bow and arrow

Potential Energy

Kinetic Energy Key Point: Kinetic energy is ENERGY OF MOTION. Energy that is being used is creating action of some kind. All things that move contain the energy of motion, and we call this kinetic energy. When you tap into the stored stuff you have (food from the pantry or paper from your binder), then you are using that resource at the moment. The same goes with energy-when we tap into it, it becomes active energy. Key Point: Kinetic energy is ENERGY OF MOTION.

Kinetic Energy Two things can affect the amount of kinetic energy of something. Its mass…. Simply put, the bigger something is, the greater its energy. Its velocity(speed)…. Again, pretty simple. The faster it moves, the more energy it has. KE = M x V (This might remind you of the formula for force…. How do force and energy relate to each other?)

Kinetic Energy Key Point: Nothing moves without energy. Nothing. Anytime you see something moving, you are seeing kinetic energy. It’s the energy of a moving bus, a roller coaster, a plane flying, and a paratrooper jumping. Key Point: Nothing moves without energy. Nothing.

Kinetic Energy

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